No Other Choice
by MarkNicholsonV2
Summary: Driven by love and fear, Fox makes a decision that will haunt him for the rest of his life. The event takes place between Star Fox Assault and Star Fox Command. Please comment! Good OR Bad, I WANT to know what you think.


I stood in the front doorway of the bar, gazing at Krystal. She was sitting at a booth smiling, having a good time with the rest of the Star Fox team, and I was about to take that all away. I had made all the preparations, all I had to do now was tell her... But how could I? She was so happy with us. We were her only family since she lost her original relatives in the destruction of her planet.

I watched as the waitress that Falco was hitting on threw the contents of her drink in his face. Krystal burst out in laughter. She was so beautiful when she laughed... I couldn't do this; we had been through so much together, her and I. Yet I had to. _You're doing it for her own good Fox_, I told myself. _You're doing it because you care for her. _While I was standing there in thought, I noticed that Krystal had glanced over at me. I quickly looked away. I couldn't bear to meet her eyes. Not with the news I was going to deliver to her.

I slowly started walking towards the booth and looked at my team, but my eyes steered clear of Krystal. "We need to get going guys. I just received an urgent transmission from General Pepper"

"Fine, this was a lousy bar anyway." Falco grumbled.

I hardly noticed Falco's comment. I turned to Krystal, but I still couldn't meet her eyes. "I need to speak with you privately Krystal..."

"Sure thing!" she said. She was still having a great time, totally oblivious to what she was about to be told. I turned around and slowly started leading her to the alley out back. The whole way out there I was trying to build up the strength to say what I needed to. Krystal started to talk about something, but I was too focused to make out what she was saying, all I heard was her voice. Her voice... it was so soft, so sweet. _You can still turn back_, I thought. _You don't have to do this. _I stopped, we were in the alley. _No... you have to do this. It's for her own safety. You have to think of __HER__ Fox. You have to protect __HER__. _

"Whats wrong Fox?" Krystal asked. I could tell by the sound of her voice that she knew by now, something was up. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. This was it. "Krystal... I don't want you on the team anymore"

She froze. "Wha- why?" she asked. Any happiness that was in her voice was now completely gone.

"I... I can't-" I could hardly get the words out. "I can't let you continue doing this. It's too dangerous. I won't let you lose your life to this job."

"It's my life Fox, It's what I love doing! Where else am I going to go? What else am I going to do!?"

I looked up at her. Her eye's hit me like a bullet; they were filled with shock and fear. I took another deep breath. "I've already sent all your things to the Nova Inn and left you enough money to get by until you can support yourself."

I stood there watching as the fear started to overwhelm her. She fell to her knees as tears started to build up in her eyes. I couldn't look any longer. My gaze fell to the ground and I shut my eyes, trying to hold back my own tears. I had to stay in control of myself, I had to do this. I felt her grab my shirt and start crying into it.

"Please Fox! Don't do this! The Team-," She paused trying to fight the tears. "The Team is the only family I have left. Please don't ask me to leave. I can't lose my family again! I can't!"

I felt like crumbling to the ground. It took every ounce of my strength to stay standing, let alone keep myself crying. _You have to walk away Fox_, I told myself. _You have to let her go._ I softly grabbed Krystal's arms, and slowly pushed them away. "Good bye Krystal….." I whispered, and then turned around and started walking away. I had hardly walked ten feet when I herd her yell,

"I love you Fox!"

I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Please, PLEASE! Don't leave me!" She cried.

I couldn't move. _Damn it!_ Earlier on, those words would have been like the sweetest song I ever heard, but now, now they were like a dagger piercing my heart... I wanted to turn around, embrace her, and tell her that I felt the same. That she could stay on the team, that I wanted to be together with her forever. _No Fox!_ I told myself. _You have to stay strong. If you truly love her, you'll do anything to keep her out of harms way, even if it means removing her from your life!_

It felt like I had been frozen there for hours. Finally, I used the last bit of strength that I had, and kept walking. Her crying grew fainter and fainter as I walked away. When I had gotten a few blocks away from the bar, I couldn't fight my tears any longer. I broke down and started crying right in the middle of the sidewalk. "I'm sorry Krystal…." I wept to myself, "I'm so sorry…." I fell to the ground. I'd done it, I kept her safe, I did the right thing, and now I wanted to kill myself for it. I laid there in tears for what felt like a millennia. After a while I finally looked up. The streets were usually empty except for a late night wanderer here and there, and I had attracted the attention of just about every one of them. I didn't care. They could think whatever they wanted. _Try pushing the love of your life away sometime, see how it feels! _I laid there for awhile longer, then slowly stood up and started walking again. I couldn't get the image of Krystal crying on the ground out of my head. It burned worse than anything I had ever felt.

I finally reached the Great Fox. But I couldn't go in. I just stood outside. I didn't want to see how the ship looked without her in it. I didn't want to see the team without her with them. Tears started welling up in my eyes again, but I dried them off. _No, you can't let the guys see you like this._ When I was in control, I walked inside. I knew the team was in the bridge waiting for me. But I wasn't ready to face them. I needed a night to myself, but I should've known I wasn't going to get it. As I was walking down the hall to my room, I heard Falco's voice behind me.

"So, care to tell us where Krystal is, and why all her stuff's gone?"

I stopped and stood there in silence. Knowing Falco, he would want the full explanation, and I wasn't ready to give him one.

"Well?" Falco asked again.

I kept my back turned to him. "She's gone. I forced her off the team."

I started walking again, hoping that would be the end of it, but I should've known better.

"And why the hell did you do that?" He said.

I clenched my fists. I wasn't anywhere near being in the mood to put up with Falco today, but I kept a grip on myself. "I wasn't going to let her keep putting her life on the line for us." There was a pause. _Go on __buddy__, I know you have more to say to me!_

"Ever thought that maybe that's what she wanted?"

I had my teeth gritted now. I spun around and glared at him. My voice was full of sarcasm. "No Falco, I thought she would've loved to be off the team!" my sarcasm turned to rage. "Why do you think I said I FORCED her off?!"

"Way I see it; you had yourself quite a winner their Fox. A winner who wanted to stay with you, and you just threw her out the door. Hell, you never even asked us what we thought about kicking her off the team! Maybe we would've liked a say in the matter!" He started moving towards me as he continued, "Come to think of it, maybe you don't even care about what your team wants! It's always about what YOU want isn't it?!

That did it. I couldn't hold back. I threw a kick right to the side of Falco's jaw that sent him straight to the floor. "I did what I knew was best for her! After how much I almost lost during our last mission, I would've been a fool to let her keep risking her life out there! I LOVE HER TOO MUCH!" The hallway fell silent. _Damn!_ I couldn't believe I let that slip out.

Falco slowly stood up, wiping off the blood drizzling down his beak with the back of his hand.

"So, the truth finally comes out. And it's when she's no longer here to hear it."

I looked down at the ground and let out a sigh. My anger started to fade. "If I told her, she wouldn't have let me leave her. She would've fought me to the death on the matter and I wouldn't have been strong enough to stop her." I looked Falco dead in the eye. "I wasn't going to watch her die on this team."

I waited for him to say something, but nothing came. He simply dropped his gaze and for once, stayed silent. So I turned and walked away. I heard the rest of the team come running in from the bridge, but I kept walking. I went into my room and locked the door. Finally, I was completely alone. There was no one to see me, no one to pry at me, It was just me. I removed all my gear, and fell onto my bed. I laid there for hours trying to get some sleep, but it never came. I was awake for the rest of the night, with the image burning in my head of Krystal weeping in the alley.


End file.
